There's Always Money in The Banana Stand

Full of life lessons, crazy family drama, and telenovela levels of plot twists and turns, Arrested Development is truly a show worth binging. From the very first episode, you're thrown into this family's life as the head of the family and the Bluth's real estate development empire, George Bluth, is arrested for stealing millions of dollars and illegally building houses in Iraq for the infamous Saddam Hussein. Quite the story starter, am I right?

The family must then navigate life without the luxuries of wealth, as well as saving their family's name from ruin. With every asset frozen, nearly every member of the Bluth family has to move into their last available place to live: one of their model homes. Now the family, who hasn't seen much of each other in the recent past, has to learn how to live together in very close quarters.

Meanwhile, each family member seems to be living their own crisis. We'll start with Michael because his character is debatably the center of the story. In the pilot episode, everyone, including Michael himself, expects him to be named the next CEO of the Bluth company. When his mother, Lucille, is unexpectedly given the title, Michael's world seems turned upside down, and he vows to leave the family.

When Lucille decides that she has no idea how to run the family business, she tries to convince Michael to come back and resume the title. Lucille also has to find a way to manage without her extravagant lifestyle. As someone who deeply cares about her status in society, she definitely has a hard time adjusting to life without lavish parties, dinners at the most exclusive restaurants, and the other perks of being filthy rich. Not only that, but her youngest son, Buster, still lives with her at home. Lucille seems to like having Buster at home, but it doesn't come without its challenges.

Buster, an adult failure-to-launch, still lives with his mother in her condo. Throughout the series, you see Buster attempting to escape is mother's grasp and start out on his own. Buster is a rather socially-awkward fellow, and his brothers often tease him for it. He has a hard time fitting in with his family, and is constantly trying to get close to his brothers, Michael and Gob. Additionally, Buster begins this accidental romantic relationship with his mother's best friend, Lucille (yes, his mother's friend is also named Lucille). This relationship opens a realm of doors, especially as Buster explores a new relationship with someone who is much too similar to his mother.

Gob, the eldest brother of the four Bluth siblings, is a failed magician who, throughout the show, tries to become reinstated by the magician's corp. He has his own set of problems, and constantly feels like he's competing with Michael (especially when he finds out the Michael and his girlfriend have a thing for each other). Gob simply just wants to be included, and is always doing odd things, such as leaving dead doves in the freezer.

Lindsay, the only sister in the Bluth family, has been married to a disgraced doctor--Tobias--and has not worked a day in her life. When her family's assets are frozen and her husband is no longer making money, she has to learn how to live with next to nothing. However, she's not very good at it and often buys clothes and puts the purchase on the Bluth company credit card.

Additionally, Lindsay is a self-proclaimed philanthropist who endorses a variety of causes, albeit not for very long: Ladies of Literacy, a monkey freedom rally, wetlands clean up, HOOP (hands off our p*nises), and numerous other causes. Lindsay is the mother of Maeby, her teenage daughter. The two of them have a rather strained relationship, which is similar to the relationship that Lindsay has with the own mother. Throughout the show, Lindsay is constantly trying to figure out how to be a good mother to her daughter.

Tobias, Lindsay's husband, lost his medical license when he gave CPR to a sleeping man who did NOT need CPR, and broke the man's sternum in the process. With the unexpected career change, Tobias decides he wants to pursue a career as an actor, and spends the series attempting numerous roles. On top of his sudden change in career, Tobias lives with a rare mental disorder he calls, "never-nude."

Maeby, the daughter of Lindsay and Tobias, often feels neglected by her parents. Throughout the series, she rebels in attempt to get her parent's attention. Some of her attempts include kissing her cousin, George Michael, and joining a school play in the midst of her father's failed acting career. Each episode she seems to be on a new path to gain her parents' attention.

George Michael, Michael Bluth's son, is a perfectionist and all-round good guy who is also trying to live a normal teenage life. If any one character was the "glue" of the family, it would be George Michael. His mother passed away, so he only lived with his father until the rest of the Bluth family moved into the model home. George Michael would be a seemingly normal one of the family, if he didn't have a massive crush on his cousin, Maeby. Not only does he have to navigate his crush on her, but the two cousins even share a bedroom. Yikes!

And all of that is only in the first couple of episodes.

Throughout the entire series, you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll cry from laughing, and you'll find yourself relating to these obnoxious characters in the most obscure ways.

As someone who is interested in psychology, watching these characters grow and develop is wildly entertaining. Each character seems to be in their own identity crisis and spends the series figuring out how to be independent. I'm not even just referring to the teenagers, the adults also are trying to come into their true identities and figure out their purposes in life.

I think this growth is what makes these characters so relatable. Some of the characters never left the nest and must learn how to fly, others had a career and are starting over, and yet others must overcome their own internal challenges to find out who they really are. All the while, they learn how to love and support each other as a family.

So if you're looking for humor with endless inside jokes and quotes, watch Arrested Development. You'll probably end up binging the whole show like I did.

Just remember, when in doubt, there's always money in the banana stand.